Friends are Family
by mez84
Summary: Becky grew up a few houses down from the Mercers. She was friends with the brothers and goes with them on their search to find out who killed Evelyn. Please review! Let me know if I should keep writing or if I should change anything.
1. Chapter 1

"Becky open the door." Bobby yelled as he pounded his fist on the front door.

"We know you're in there. Come on let us in." Angel called.

Angel and Bobby stood at the door, as Jack looked through the window. "Here she comes." He said walking back over to the door to stand with his brothers.

Becky opened the door only a bit so she was able to look out.

"What do you guys want?" She asked.

"What's going on? Bobby asked her.

"What do you mean?"

"Ma said you were coming over for dinner, that was three hours ago." Angel said.

"I fell asleep. I'll come over tomorrow night." Becky started closing the door when Bobby shoved his hand against it, stopping her.

"What the hell is going on with you Becky?" He asked.

"Nothing."

"Why wont you open the door?" Jack asked, confused by the way she was acting.

Becky didn't say anything; she turned her eyes to the floor.

"Let us in." Bobby said again in a soft but commanding tone. She brought her eyes up to look at Bobby, but she didn't open the door.

"Why wont you let us in, what's going on Becky, is something wrong?" Angel asked her.

"Nothing, okay. I'll see you tomorrow."

"That's it, open this door and let us in or I will fuckin break it in." Bobby said. Becky could tell that Bobby was getting mad and would break the door down if she didn't let them all in. Stepping back from the door she moved to the back of the room where there was less light.

Bobby stepped in the house followed by Angel and Jack. Bobby always being protective of her knew that there was something wrong, this was the first time she had never let them in the house and now she was trying to distance herself from the three of them.

"Get over here." Bobby said to her as he pointed to the floor in front of him.

Becky didn't move, she didn't want to, but she slowly walked over to Bobby keeping her head down, letting her long brunette hair fall over her round face. Once she was standing in front of him, still keeping her head down even though she knew that he would make her look him in the eyes.

"Look at me."

As slow as possible she lifted her face, her eyes looking into his. She didn't know how he would react to what he was going to see. All he did was put his hand gently on the left side of her face.

"What the hell happened?" Jack asked.

"It's nothing." Becky said looking away once they all saw the huge purple-green burses on the left side of her face.

"When did he do this?" Bobby asked her. Becky knew that she could never hide anything from him; he always seemed to know what was going on without even asking.

"This afternoon." She said

By this time Jack and Angel were standing next to her, looking at the burses. They kept asking her questions, but she didn't hear them. All she could think about was Bobby, 'what was he thinking.' He wasn't saying anything; he was just staring at her with a look in his eyes. A look that she didn't know.

"Get your things." Bobby finally spoke.

"Why?"

"You're staying with us." Bobby went into her room and started to pack a bag for her. Jack grabbed her jacket from the back of the sofa and helped her put it on well Angel followed after Bobby.

"What are we going to do?" Angel asked.

"Were going to make sure that asshole never touches her again," Bobby picked up the bag as he left her room. "Lets go, you can clean up at our house."

Bobby walked out of the house, Becky was right behind him with Angel and Jack following them. Becky's house was only a few homes down from the Mercers. Just before they walked up to the house Becky stopped.

"What's wrong?" Jack asked stopping, putting his arm around her.

"Is Evelyn home?"

"Na, not right now," Angel said, "She wont be back for a few hours.

Becky let Jack lead her into the house; she than followed Bobby up stairs and into his room, well the other two stayed downstairs.

"You can stay in my room, I'll take the couch," He set the bag down next to the bed. "Go to the bathroom and wash that makeup off." Bobby said, turning away from her.

Becky left his room without saying anything and went to the bathroom to wash her face. She had put makeup on earlier to try and hide her burses so they wouldn't see them, which hadn't worked that well.

When Bobby was leaving his room, he walked past the bathroom, and saw Becky at the sink washing her face; he also saw a red stain on the side of her shirt. He walked into the bathroom and shut the door behind him.

"What did he do to you?" Bobby asked looking deep into her eyes.

"He hit me."

"That all he did?"

"Yes."

Without saying anything Bobby lifted up the side of her shirt to show the cuts that had made the red stains.

"Shit." Becky said looking at the red liquid covering her skin.

"What happened Becky?" He said in a stern voice. She didn't want to tell him, she knew that she couldn't tell him without physically braking down. That was something she was not going to do in front of him. He was tough, and you needed to be tough when you were with him. She told herself that, because she had never seen him act anything but tough. He was a Mercer. "I need to know what he did." Bobby said in a stern yet soft voice, a voice she had never heard before, at this point she knew that she couldn't hold everything in anymore. She started to back away when Bobby pulled her into his arms.

"I just want to help you Becky."

"He came home drunk, when he noticed that there was no beer in the house he got angry, and needed something to hit."

"How did you get these cut?"

"I must have landed on some broken glass when I. fell"

"Did he do anything else?"

"No, nothing." Becky wiped her eyes from the tears that had fallen down her face. Feeling almost embarrassed to have Bobby see her that way.

"Alright. Lift up your shirt, I'll clean it for you." Bobby gave her a small smile to let her know that it was okay, as he grabbed a towel and wet it down. Becky lifted her shirt up so he could get to all of the cuts. He washed the three cuts that she had on her side and checked to see if there was any glass inside any of the cuts; neither of them spoke as he lightly cleaned the drying blood from her body.

"Yo Bobby where you at?" Angel came up the stairs yelling.

"I'll be right there." Bobby started towards the bathroom door.

"Bobby, don't tell them about the cuts." Becky said, putting her hands around his arm, pulling him back towards her. He looked down at her stained shirt.

"Here." Bobby said taking his shirt off handing it to her. "Put this on, if you go out there with the shirt you have on he'll notice without anyone telling him."

Becky started to pull her shirt off, but it was tight and hard to pull over her cuts. Bobby saw her wince and helped lift the shirt over her head. He let his eyes wander from the cuts on her side, to her chest then up to her eyes. Bobby had always thought Becky was good looking but he had never really noticed her body before.

"Bobby, you in there?" Angel knocked on the bathroom door.

"I'll be right out." He called back. Becky pulled down the shirt Bobby gave her.

The bathroom door opened and Angel saw the two of them walk out, Bobby with no shirt on, and Becky wearing it. Becky walked down stirs; Bobby was headed to his room when Angel stopped him.

"What was going on in there?" Angel asked.

"When her father hit her, she fell and got some cuts on her side, I was just washing them out."


	2. Chapter 2

The next day

Becky stood in front of the mirror and looked at her face. The purple-green color had turned to a yellow-green. Letting her hair fall around her face like she did the day before, she gave herself another look in the mirror before leaving the bathroom.

"Still hurt?" Bobby asked coming up the stairs.

"Nope." She said passing him on her way down.

"Liar," He said, stopping in the hall. "I don't understand why you can't talk to me."

"What am I suppose to say?"

"How you feel would be a great start." Bobby said walking into his room.

"You don't want to know what I am feeling." She called after him, to try and prove a point, what that point was she had no idea.

"Try me." Bobby said poking his head out of his room. Becky didn't say anything. "Let me guess, you don't want me to see you cry?" He said with a little chuckle.

That had pissed her off, mostly because it was true, but really it was the way he said it that put her over the edge.

"Fuck you." She said as she stood in the hall looking back at the open door to his room. "You have no idea what I am feeling."

"Yes I do." He said stepping out into the hall leaning against the doorframe. "Your scared."

"I am not scared." She said as strongly as possible.

"You're scared of what happened. Your scared of what could happen. You're scared that you are going to be all alone with no one to care for you. Am I right?" He said as he walked to her.

"Your right." She said in a soft whisper. "I am scared."

"Don't be. Nothing's goanna happened to you. I wont let it." He said putting his hand on her shoulder.

"It all ready has." She said turning around and walking downstairs.

After breakfast, the brothers went to the living room to watch the hockey game; Becky stayed and helped Evelyn clean up. In the middle of washing the dishes the telephone rang. Drying off her hands Evelyn picked up the phone.

"Hello… Yes, she's here." Evelyn turned around and handed the phone to Becky, "It's your father." She said before leaving the room. She walked past the living room with a basket of folded laundry and went up stairs.

Ma, who's on the phone?" Angel asked.

"It's for Becky."

"Who would be calling Becky here?" Jack said.

Bobby got off the couch and went to find out.

"Hello," Becky said getting on the phone, "No, I'm not coming home. Evelyn said I can stay with her…because you hit me…No…I said No!"

Bobby grabbed the phone from her.

"You stay the hell away from her, you fuckin bastard…If you ever come near her again, I will beat your ass and leave you for dead." He hung up the phone and turned around to see everyone staring at him.

"Watch your mouth Bobby." Evelyn said walking back in the room, past the three other brothers who were trying to keep their laugher insides.

"You don't do what he did, and get away with it Ma." He said.

"That doesn't mean you have the right to talk to him that way. What's done is done. Lets forget about it." Evelyn said.

Jack, Jerry, and Angel went back in the living room to watch the game; Becky went up to Bobby's bedroom. Bobby headed to the living room but was stopped by his mother.

"You sure told him." She said softly. Bobby laughed and kissed his mother on the top of her head.

"BECKY!" A voice from outside in the street yelled; everyone in the house could hear it.

"What the hell." Jerry said looking out the window. "Bobby get over here and take a look at this." Bobby went over to the window and saw who was out there yelling.

He was the first one out of the house with a wooden bat in his right hand. Angel was right behind him; well Jack and Jerry were holding Evelyn back in the house.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Bobby asked walking over to him.

"Where's Becky?"

"She was dead to you the second you raised your hand to her. Now get the fuck out of here before I kill you."

"Becky is coming with me." Her father said.

"Bobby!" Becky yelled running out of the house and over to him, as he was about to charge her father. Angel was doing his best to hold him back; Becky stepped in front and put her hands on his chest. "Bobby stop it! Forget about him."

"Let's go home Becky." Her father said stepping towards her.

Becky turned to see her father moving towards her, she stepped back against Bobby.

"Leave." Bobby said stepping in front of Becky to block her from her father.

"Not without Becky." He said.

"She's eighteen, and can live where she chooses. She's staying with us." Evelyn spoke up as she stepped out of the house. Walking over to her, Evelyn lead Becky back into the house.

All four boys stood in the street waiting for her father to leave.

"I will be back for her." He said walking away.


	3. Chapter 3

Becky moved into the Mercer house and lived with Evelyn and the four boys. In time the boys moved away. Bobby went off and joined a hockey team, Jerry got married and had two beautiful girls, Angel joined the marines, and Jack went on the road with his band.

The only brother that she saw or heard from was Jerry; otherwise it was just her and Evelyn. Since Bobby was the first to move out, she moved into his room, but she never got rid of any of his things. To her it was still his room; she just slept there.

Becky was twenty-four when Evelyn was killed, she was at home that night when she had gone to the store. The next thing she knew there was a knock at the door and two policemen were telling her the events of that evening.

Walking over to the cemetery with Jerry she saw Jack and Bobby walking towards them. She was glad to see them, but not because they come home for their mother funeral.

"Bobby, Jack. How you've been?" Jerry asked.

"Good, yourself?" Bobby said.

"I'm still going."

"How you doing Becky." Bobby said, Becky looked up at him and really looked at him for the first time in over five years, he looked good, older, but real good.

"I'm fine." She said letting him hug her, man it felt good to be held by him. Looking over his shoulder she saw Jack. "Hey Jack." She said letting go of Bobby, she felt cold leaving his arms, and went over to Jack.

"Hey." Was all he said.

The four of them went to join the group of people by the grave.

Leaving Jerry's house later that night, Jack got in the Volvo with Jerry, and Becky got into Bobby's car. They were heading home.

"I've been staying in your room, you can have it back, I'll sleep somewhere else." Becky said looking at Bobby.

"No, that's ok, I was going to stay in ma's room." He said looking at her before facing the road again. The rest of the ride home was silent. Pulling up in front of the house Becky didn't want to get out. She didn't feel like she belonged there, it wasn't her home or her family.

"Bobby." Becky said quickly. He turned to look at her. "I am not going in with you."

"Look I know that it must be hard for you, but it won't hurt once you go inside." Bobby said opening his door.

"No, I mean, I am not part of this family, you all should spend time together, with out me. I'll go stay at my friends house, I just need to get a few things." She said opening her door. About ready to step out into the cool night air, Bobby pulled her back in the car.

"Your family, and you are staying with us. We are all gonna stay in the house together, Ma would have wanted that." He got out of the car and grabbed his bag.

"So, shit, Bobby, what've you been up to?" Jack asked as they all got out of the cars.

"I'm a freaking college professor, Jack. What do you think I've been doing?"

"I doubt that." He said back.

"Same ol Bobby." Jerry said walking up to the front door.

"Y'all ain't right leaving me out here in the cold like this." A voice from the corner of the porch said. Not knowing who was there at first Becky grabbed onto Bobby's arm.

"Yo, little brother! You asshole! You ought to be ashamed!" Bobby said after Jerry turned the light on and they all saw Angel sitting there in the corner of the porch. Becky let go of his arm as he walked over to him.

"I missed my plane." Angel said standing up.

"You missed our mother's funeral too, jarhead." Bobby said hugging his little brother. He stepped aside and Jack went over to Angel.

"You shaved off your afro." Jack said with a laugh.

"Come here Jackie-poo." He said hugging his little brother.

"Did you get your teeth whitened?" He asked stepping to the side of Angel.

"Shut-up. Hey baby girl, how've you been?" He said to Becky. With out saying anything she walked over to Angel and gave him a hug.

"It's freezing out here." Jerry said opening the front door to the house. The four boys walked inside and froze. It didn't feel right for them to be home with out their Mother.

"I'm gonna get me something to eat. All y'all hungry?" Angel spoke up as he walked through the house.

"No, I'm gonna get some sleep. Jack, you take your old room, all right? Angel, take yours. I'm gonna sleep in Ma's room."

Bobby headed up stairs with his bag, Jack and Becky followed after a few minutes of standing in the living room.

Becky sat on the bed and let her mind wander. This was the first time in over five years; that all of the boys were in the house together. She was wondering what it would be like with everyone home again? Would they stay? Would they want her to stay?

The sound of Jack's guitar pulled her from her thoughts. She walked out of her room and went across the hall into his room. He was sitting on his bed, and Bobby was sitting on the floor; she walked in and sat on the floor next to him. All she wanted was for him to put his arm around her and pull her close to him, to let her know that things were going to still be all right; but she knew that he wouldn't, not with his brothers around. He couldn't show emotion, not now, not in front of them.

"Too weird in mom's room?" Jack was asking Bobby when she came in.

"Oh, man. Way too weird. It's crazy. I mean, everything's exactly the same. She didn't change nothing in this house." Bobby said lying his head back against the bed.

"Look at y'all." Jerry said standing in the doorway, giving a soft laugh.

"What?" Bobby said turning his head to look at him.

"Nothing. I'm just happy to see you, man. Happy to see my brothers, that's all."

"I'm happy to see you too Jerry." Bobby said turning his face to look at Becky, to show her that he was glad to see her too.

"I guess I'll stop by the grocery store and grab a turkey or something. Have Thanksgiving dinner. Let's at least act like we're a real family. Mom would like that." Jerry said putting his hat on. Just then Angel walked into the hall.

"Where do you think your going?" Jerry asked.

"It's a little heavy in there. I'm gonna just go outside and get me a little air." Angel said as he tried to walk passed everyone.

"You're full of shit, man. You can smell that ass from down the street, huh?" Bobby said laughing.

"What are you talking about?" Angel questioned.

"What do you mean, what? Come on, man. You know exactly what we're talking about with La Vida Loca."

"Ain't nobody going to get no La Vida Loca nothing." He said back.

"She got a boyfriend." Jerry chirped in.

"She got a boyfriend. She's screaming somebody else's name, and the last thing she's doing is thinking about your black ass. Leave it alone man." Bobby said over the laughter of Jack, Becky, and Jerry.

"I can't even believe y'all coming at me with this shit, man. I'm standing here telling y'all right now, I'm not going to see that girl, and I'm not." Angel took off down the stairs, slamming the door on his way out. The boys kept laughing at their brother, once the laughter died down there was a hush that fell over the room. Jerry said his goodbyes to his brothers and Becky before leaving.

Becky was the next one to get up; she went back to Bobby's room and laid down on the bed. For the first time since hearing about Evelyn's death she started to cry. The tears rushed out of her eyes streaming down her face. Nothing in her life or the boys lives seemed to work out, it always ended horrible. First with her mother leaving and then with her father, now Evelyn was gone. There was nothing that she could do, and there was nothing that she could of done to stop what had happened.

"Want some company?" Bobby said from the doorway. Becky was so deep in thought that she never heard him open the door, walk in and shut it behind him.

"I don't want to keep you from your brothers. Jack needs you more right now." She said putting her strong face on, hoping that with being gone for all those years he wouldn't be able to see though her, like he always seemed to be able to do.

"Jack's asleep, how you holding up?" Bobby didn't move, he stood in front of the closed door with his hands inside the pocket of his hooded sweatshirt.

"I'm doing fine." She said.

He took his hands out and walked over to Becky and stood in front of her.

"Why is it when I want to talk to you, you act all tough on me?"

"I'm not acting." She said standing up and moved to walk past him. Bobby put his arm out to stop her.

"You never act that way with the others."

He had her there; she didn't know what to say. There was nothing to say; she either said nothing, or the truth.

"I can't tell you how I feel."

"Why the hell not?" He asked.

"You'll think I'm weak."

"What's so bad about that?"

"I don't want to be weak, or vulnerable I have been that way with everything in my life, I don't want you to see that."

Bobby sat down on his old bed.

"I don't think you're weak, there's nothing wrong with showing your emotions Becky."

"You don't show emotion." She threw back at him.

"That was how I was made."

"So you can't be weak, and I can't be strong?" She said. "Fuck this." Becky got up and stormed out of the room. Bobby went after her; he left the room and saw Jack standing in the doorway of his room rubbing his eye.

"What's up with her?" He said. "You piss her off?"

"Shut up fairy, go back to bed." Bobby said going down the stairs.

"Fuck you." Jack said to himself before going back in his room.

Bobby stood in the kitchen looking out the window. Becky was standing out in the cold night with her arms wrapped around her body holding herself. He didn't know if he should go out there and talk to her, or just give her this time to herself. After a few minutes he pulled on his jacket and grabbed hers. Without saying anything he walked up next to her and held out her jacket silently asking her if she wanted it. Becky didn't move, she stood in the snow looking directly ahead. They just stood there together not saying anything.

Becky couldn't hold everything in any longer, she needed to let it all out, she started to scream. She screamed for being mad at her mother for leaving her when she was a little girl, for letting her father hit her all of those years, and for Evelyn being killed. The longer she screamed the weaker her body felt. She was becoming cold and tired; she let her body fall to the powder white snow that had fallen earlier that night.


	4. Chapter 4

Becky slowly opened her eyes letting them scan over the room as she laid in bed. Voices were heard from down stairs. All she could make out was Bobby yelling with Angel about Sofi, who he had lied about going to see last night. Now a third voice joined in, a Spanish voice, it was Sofi, who was yelling at Bobby for the things he must be saying about her.

Bobby was lying on the couch with his feet up watching a hockey game. Jerry was sitting by the fireplace as he watched the game with his brothers. An Angel was over by the record that was next to the TV.

"Don't start man." Bobby said as a yellow piece of plastic came flying at his head. "Why do you always do that?"

"Shut up." Angel said throwing a piece at Jerry.

"To be aggravating." Jerry said, getting hit in the head. "Chill out, man. I'm watching the game. Come on." Angel kept throwing pieces at his two brothers who were now starting to get mad at him.

"Try it one more time." Jerry said.

"What you gonna do?" Angel asked.

"You'll see."

"Big-ass teeth. Bite me?" Angel snapped his teeth at Jerry, who was not pleased with his brother at this time.

"You do have some big-ass teeth, Jerry." Bobby said laughing at his two younger brothers.

Angel threw yet another piece at Jerry. Getting up slyly Jerry went over and smacked Angel on the head, starting a fight between the brothers.

"Yeah, get him, Jerry! The gorgeous black ladies of wrestling, Nitro and Midnight. Nitro got Midnight in a headlock. Get him! Get him Jerry! Midnight trying to get up, but Nitro's on him. Get him, Nitro!" Bobby yelled to his brothers as he watched them wrestle on the living room floor.

"Boys, boys, boys" Becky said coming into the room.

"What is that suppose ta mean?" Jerry said.

"Nothing, just all you guys seem to do is play hockey and wrestle."

"I thought you liked hockey, and what's wrong with wrestling?" Angel asked.

"Nothing." Bobby said as he got off the couch and grabbed Becky around the waist as she was on her way to the dinning room, pulling her onto the floor with him and started to wrestle with her.

"Get off me Bobby." Becky laughed.

"What's wrong with wrestling?" He asked.

Angel and Jerry watched the two of them rolling around on the floor as Becky tried to wiggle her way out of the hold he had on her. She was screaming for Bobby to get off her as he had her pined to the ground holding her arms and legs down.

"You know Bobby, Becky is very ticklish on her sides." Angel said.

"Where? Right here?" He said as he moved his hand to Becky's left side.

"Stop it!" Becky yelled. "Stop it!"

"What's wrong sweetheart, you don't like being tickled?" Bobby asked.

"Don't forget I'm the only one who knows about when you took…" Bobby stopped tickling her and covered her mouth.

"Let's go eat. That bird ready yet Jack?" Bobby called.

Not really understanding what had just happened Jerry and Angel went to the dinning room.

Bobby moved his hand away from Becky's mouth.

"That was a cheep shot, you know." He said helping her up.

"It worked didn't it." She said walking away.

"Jesus Christ, our lord and Savior, thank you for this day. Thank you for this food we're about to receive and thank you for bringing us together. Amen." Bobby said grace.

"Amen."

The five of them eat in silence; every now and then someone would look over to the seat that Evelyn would normally be sitting in, but she wasn't there, she never would sit in that seat again.

"To hell with this man. Let's go get a pickup game. I wanna see some quick sticks and some tight passing." Bobby said standing up and walking to the kitchen with his drink and plate.

"It's too cold, man. I ain't come all the way back out here to go play no hockey."

"Come on ladies, let's show those guys some fucking skills!" He said walking back through the room as if he didn't hear a word that Angel said.

The brothers went off to play hockey, well Becky stayed at the house. Wanting the boys to have time to do something together without her hanging around. After the hockey game the four brothers went over to talk with their mothers lawyer, who gave them little information.

Later that night they all went out to a local bar to drink themselves into forgetting about what had happened to their mother.

"Your attention please. I wanna make a toast. To Evelyn Mercer. The greatest mother four degenerate bastards ever had." Bobby said holding his shot glass high in the air, joined by three more glasses.

The four of them downed the shot and slammed the glasses on the bar.

"Johnny, pour me and my brothers another round. And warm milk for my little sister here." Bobby said putting his arm around Jacks shoulder.

"Man, I will drink you under the table."

"We're not talking about sperm Jack, this is whiskey."

"Pour me a shot boys." Becky said as she walked over to the Mercers, stopping next to Jerry.

"You're too young to drink." Bobby said, forgetting that she was now twenty-four. Johnny poured her a shot and she drink it right away.

"When did you learn how to drink?" Angel said leaning over the bar to talk to her.

"She's too young to be drinking." Bobby said again picking up his beer and going over to a table that had just cleared out. The rest of the boys followed him, and Becky waited for her drink before going over to the table. She sat down between Jerry and Bobby.

The night was spent questioning Becky about what she has been doing with her life, and Jack saying shit that would cause the boys to argue.

"Jack drinks Jack, Jack drinks Jack." Jack started to sing after he had a few bottles of Jack Daniel's lined up on the table.

" That's your brother." Jerry said laughing at his younger brother.

"Jack licks ass crack and ball sack." Bobby said leaning back in his chair, putting his arm across the back of the chair Becky was sitting in.

"Jack doesn't lick ass crack and ball sack! Jack likes boobs. Jack gots fans. Jack's got lots of fans."

"Oh man, will you shut up?" Angel said.

"Why are you in such a rush?" Bobby asked when Jerry started to pull his coat on.

"I'm here, aren't I?"

"You can't hang with your big brother and have a drink?"

"I did, and I'm glad y'all here, but I got ta get home." Jerry said standing up.

"Hey Jerry, do you mind taking me home?" Becky asked.

"Sure girl." Becky and Jerry said goodbye to the rest of the boys and headed out when Johnny came over to the table and talk with them.

"Jack, it was a questionable kill." Bobby said coming into the house later that night. Becky who was falling asleep on the couch heard them come in and listened to them talk.

"What makes you think that?" Jack asked Bobby.

"Nobody taught you anything, did they? I should've stayed around longer and held your little hand, huh, sweetheart?"

"Whatever man." Jack walked into the kitchen, and Bobby followed.

"Look, sometimes pros will cover up their shots with another crime. Like a burglary or something. Then pay a witness to throw the cops on to the wrong suspect. You understand?"

"Why would anybody wanna kill the sweetest woman in the goddmamn world?"

"I donno." Bobby said. "I donno, man." Jack left Bobby standing in the kitchen and went up to his room to get some sleep. Bobby just stood there going over the information that they found that night in his head.

"Is it true?" Becky said coming into the room.

"You eavesdroppin?" He said turning around to see Becky standing in front of him.

"What do you know?" She said.

"I don't know much, yet." He said not wanting to tell her what they did that night.

"You know something Bobby, why wont you tell me?"

"I don't want you to get involved, you're too young to deal with all this."

"Too young. I am older then Jack."

"Yeah, too young."

"Whatever." Becky said walking back to the living room.

"I don't want to see you get hurt." Bobby said walking after her. "The less you know the better."

"Better for you, maybe. But for not me." Becky sat down on the couch and as much as she didn't want to she knew she had to say what she was feeling. "I didn't have a mother growing up, the closest person I had was Evelyn. I want to find out what happened to her just as much as you do."

For the first time that the Mercer boys were back Becky got what she wanted. She got emotion, from Bobby.

"Alright, we will let you know what is going on, but there will be something's that I wont tell you. Deal?" He said.

"Deal." Becky said.

Bobby put his arm around her and held her as they sat on the couch.

"She loved you like a daughter, you know." He said softly.

When Becky opened her eyes it was still dark and she was confused by where she was. Felling movement behind her she quickly turned to see what it was. Bobby was doing his best to move his arm above his head. Realizing that they must have fallen asleep on the couch Becky sat up and ran her hands through her hair.

"You all right?" Bobby said lightly putting his hand on the lower part of her back.

"Yeah." She said.

Bobby sat up next to her.

"Why don't you go up to your room, and get some more sleep." He said.

"I wish it was that easy." She said. " I haven't been able to sleep since I found out." She said softly.

"You were just sleeping." Bobby pointed out.

"You must have the magic touch, Bobby Mercer." Becky said getting up and going up stairs.

Bobby stood up and followed.

"If I have the magic touch do you want me to stay?" He asked as he watched Becky get in to the bed. Without saying anything she pulled the blankets back and waited for him to climb in next to her.

"We're going over to talk to the store manager tomorrow, you wanna come with us?" Bobby asked as they laid there.

"I don't think I could, I can't even go past there with out freaking out." She said.

"You don't have to come if you don't want, but you wont be alone." He said.

Becky turned her body to face Bobby as he laid on his back.

"I'll go, but I need to know that if I need you, you will be there."

"Of course I will." He said pulling her into his warm embrace.


	5. Chapter 5

Becky went with the brothers to the corner store where Evelyn was shot. They waited outside for the fourth brother to pull up in his Volvo.

"All right, I'm here. What?" Jerry said walking away from his vehicle.

"Last night we found out it wasn't random." Angel said. "The witness was paid, and the whole gang story was some bullshit."

"Are you serious, man? Come on now." Jerry said not wanting to believe what his little brother just told him.

"Can I help you gentlemen?" A man said, as he stood with his keys in his hand ready to unlock the door.

"Yeah, if we could just have a moment of your time, sir. Evelyn Mercer was our mother." Jack said walking up to the older man.

"She was a good lady. I liked her very much. Come, let's go inside."

The six of them walked into the store and went to the counter. The manager pulled out a tape.

"I don't know if you would want to see this or not, but it is the tape of what happened that night." He said.

"Would you mind putting it in?" Bobby said.

The tape was put in and they all stood around watching as it played out in front of them. They watched as the shooters came in, took the money, killed the man behind the counter, went to the back of the store and shot Evelyn. Jack, Bobby, and Jerry stood behind Becky who was standing almost right in front on Bobby, and Angel was off to the side of the group. When they saw Evelyn fall to the floor Jack and Becky let the tears fall freely down their face. Jack covered his face with a fist that he held in his right hand and Becky turned around and barred her face in the closet person to her. Jerry started to walk back and forth in front of the window, and Angel and Bobby stood as if they were stone, only Bobby was holding a shacking body in his arms.

"This doesn't add up. He's already got the money." Bobby said to himself. "Supposedly, a witness told the police this was a gang shooting. You know anything about that?" He asked.

"The police talked for a long time with one man. One man more than the others."

"Would you remember what he looks like if you see him?"

"He comes in for Gatorade after the games. Big guy. Always wears sweats, never a jacket. Even with snow or rain. He has a dog and a…you know a…" He man said pointing to his hair.

"A fro?" Angel asked. "Like an Afro? Like Ben Wallace the basketball player."

"Pistons, yes, yes, Ben Wallace."

"Okay. Is he on the courts a lot?"

"On the courts or at the gym." The man said before the brothers rushed out of the store.

"They set Mom up. They set her up." Bobby said, "Come on." He said running over to the gym. His brothers followed and Becky kept up with them as they went into the gym.

They went into the high school gym, where there was a basketball game going on, and cheering fans that filled the bleachers.

"You guys ready?" Bobby said stopping on the side of the court.

"What's the plan, Bobby?" Jerry asked.

"We're winging it, Jerry."  
"We always wing it." Jerry said.

"We're gonna get killed." Jack stated to his brothers.

"What to you mean 'we' white boy?" Angel said as everyone looked at him.

"You ready?" Bobby said looking at Angel and the two boys went off in different directions. Bobby walked right to the middle of the basketball court.

"Excuse me." Bobby called to everyone in the gym.

"I don't know what the hell you think you're doing, but you better get the hell out of here, friend." The referee came up to him.

"I'd love to, friend, but I can't." Bobby took the ball from the referee's hand and started to dribble. "Yeah! I got the rock now! I got this mother fucker now!" He started to yell.

"What is he doin?" Becky asked Jack and Jerry. Jerry shook his head and walked out onto the court after his brother.

"No need to grab me. This will only take a second." The people in the stands were starting to yell at him to get off the floor and get out of there. "My name is Bobby Mercer. Some of you probably knew my mother, and some of you probably know that she was shot about a week ago across the street. Sixty-two years old, murdered in cold blood!"

"Think about this Bobby, think" Jerry kept telling his older brother.

"I'm looking for the witness, ballplayer, big guy. Supposedly never wears a coat. Dog lover, ring any bells?" Bobby and Jerry looked around the room. "You tell me where I can find the guy and you can finish your game."

Jack had been scanning the crowd the second they walked in, and he finally saw a kid stand up and sneak out to a side door. He took off after him, leaving Becky to follow him. Jack went after the kid and chased him down a hall.

"Hey! Hey! Kid! No running in the halls!" Jack yelled at the kid, as Becky stood at the other end of the hall and watched the two of them run into a closed door. "Why you running?"

"Get off me, man." The kid said as Angel walked through the door that they had just run into. "I don't know nothin."

"You got something to tell me, youngster?" Angel said as he got in the kids face. "Becky go get Jerr and Bobby."

"Back the fuck up!" Jerry was yelling as Bobby was trying to get some answers.

"I'm looking for the guy who killed my mother. You tell me where I can find this guy and you can finish your game."

"Becky." Jerry said pointing over to her as she stood by the side doors.

"I appreciate your help very much. You've all been upstanding citizens. Enjoy the rest of your game."

"Your crazy as hell." Becky said as they walked up to her.

"What do you got here?" Bobby said walking down the hall with Jerry and Becky.

"Bobby, this is Keenon. Keenon, this is Bobby." Angel introduced them. "Something tells me he was on his way to deliver a warning."

"What's his name, Keenon?" Bobby asked him as nicely as he could at that moment.

"Damian. He's my brother."

"He's your brother? No shit, these are my brothers."

"No, dog. He's my real brother."  
"Yeah, these are my real brothers. This is Angel, I'm Bobby. This is Jack and Jeremiah."

Keenon turned his face to look at Becky, wondering who she was to them.

"Who's she?" He asked.

"That's my girl, don't even look at her." He said pulling his face back towards his. "What about you and Damian? You guys still close?"

"Does he live at home with you?" Angel jumped in.

"Yeah, but I ain't telling you shit else."

"I wouldn't sell out my brothers either." He said to Keenon.

"Just calm down, okay. We just wanna talk to him, ask him a few questions. Is he gonna cooperate?" Bobby asked.

"We got something." Jerry said looking through Keenon's backpack. "Address, he lives in the Gardens, right over there."

"Enjoy the rest of the game, okay. Don't worry about it." Bobby said walking away, when he got to Becky he put his hand on her back and turned her around to walk out with him.

"These are nice grades. Better stay in school." Angel said walking away.

"What is that?" Jerry said picking up the boy's chain, hanging from his neck. "Aluminum?"

Jack took it in his hands and looked at it.

"Shit doesn't even spin." He said walking after the rest of them.

"What are we gonna do Bobby?" Angel asked as the five of them stepped out of the school and walked back to their cars.

"We're going to find Damian, and ask him a few questions." Bobby said with a look of determination on his face.

"Well, y'all do what y'all gotta do. I got gymnastics." Jerry said.

"You got your leotard on, Jerry?" Bobby asked as the rest of them started to laugh at his joke.

"Go to hell. Y'all know what I'm talking about. I got a schedule to keep. The girls got gymnastics, I gotta take them."

"You wanna take Cracker Jack with you? He's very flexible." Bobby said.

"Bobby, you're the one who took ballet." Jack said as they reached the cars.

"Jerry take Becky home will ya?" Bobby said.

"Sure."

"What? I am going with you guys."  
"Not this time, sweetheart" Bobby said.

Becky looked at Bobby, then Angel, Jerry and Jack none of them were going to let he go with them. Without saying anything she go into Jerry's Volvo and shut the door, waiting for Jerry to get in.


	6. Chapter 6

Becky waited up all night for the brothers to get home, finally around three in the morning she fell asleep on the couch. The three brothers came walking in at ten minutes to four.

"Get some sleep." Bobby said to Jack and Angel as he walked into the living room, he went in to sit down and think about the events of the day when he saw Becky laying there. He stood watching her for a few minutes she looked so peaceful. She was lying on her side with her hands underneath a small pillow that was resting on the arm of the sofa. Bobby removed the light blanket that was covering her body before picking her up and carrying her to her room. He was starting to head up the stirs when she started to wake up.

"You all okay?" She asked, as she wrapped her arms around Bobby's neck.

"We're fine, shhh."

"What happened?"

"We'll talk about that later, you need to get some sleep." He said laying her down on the bed, before he finished covering her up Becky was asleep again.

The next morning Angel was the first to see that Bobby had blood on his left arm.

"What happened to you?" Angel asked, pointing to the blood.

Bobby looked at his arm and saw that he had got a nice cut.

"Must of happened during all of the excitement yesterday." He said as he and Angel let out a laugh.

Becky came down the stirs and went into the kitchen to get some coffee. She saw Angel and Bobby talking in the living room.

"What are you boys talking about?" She said leaning against the counter as she faced them. "You're bleeding, Bobby!" She said, putting down her mug and going over to him.

"It's nothing, I just need to clean it up." He said.

"Is someone going to tell me what y'all did last night?"

"No." Angel said. Becky hated that they would not tell her what they have been doing. Without saying anything she left the room and came back a few minutes later with band-aids for his arm.

"Sit down." Becky said. She started to clean out the cut that was on his arm when he pulled back from the rubbing alcohol that was poured on the cut.

"Your such a baby, Bobby." She said bringing his arm closer to her.

"Hey, y'all police in the house!" Angel yelled from the kitchen.

"Shit, get me something to cover up my arm." Bobby said, "Hurry up."

From across the room Jack through him a women's bathrobe, that used to be their mothers.

"Angel, mind if we come in?" Green asked walking into the house.

"You're already in. Cops are always welcome at the Mercers. It makes us feel safe and cozy. Just the way we like it." He said leading them into the living room.

"Ain't you sexy." Green said as he whistled seeing Bobby sitting on the couch wearing a pretty woman's bathrobe.

"Thank you." He said getting up. "Jackie wanted this little number for himself, but I fought him for it."

"What happened to the hand?" Green asked looking down at the blood that was still on Bobby's left hand. "Did you happen to forget our little conversation we had at your brother's house about not interfering with our investigation?"

"Oh, no, no. This is Turkey Cup, man. Hockey. An old Mercer family tradition. You remember that don't you Green? You played hockey. Guys can be pretty rough out on that ice."

"Where's your car, Bobby?" Green cut him off. "It's not outside."

"We left it at Jerry's. He drove us home." Becky said walking into the room from the kitchen, she went over and stood next to Bobby and Angel.

"You know, Volvos are one of the safest cars out there. Volvos are incredible, man, when it's a blizzard outside. So we…" Angel rambled.

"Fascinating." Foller said, looking at Becky. "Hey, Gretzky, you know what this is?" He asked holding up a bag with a strand of hair in it.

"A hair from your wife's tit?" Bobby said making his brothers laugh.

"Try from your thick skull. Forensics took it off a pair of contract killers we found dead this morning." Foller said getting in Bobby's face.

"Fishing for a confession with a phony hair, huh? That's an old one boys. Come on Green. You know when I'll know you got my hair off a dead body, right? When I hear the jailhouse doors close behind me."

"Okay, then you tell me what they told you." Green asked. "You think that these thugs were hired to kill Evelyn, is that it?"

"I have no idea what you're talking about, Green"

"Wait Green, how do you go from petty thug to contract killer?" Angel asked. "And if they were professional shooters, like you say, they'd have never told us who they was working with anyway. Even if they got one hell of an ass-whuppin."

"You think you're pretty cute, don't you?" Foller said. "Everybody's a smart guy until I bust them in the mouth." He said going after Angel.

"Wait!" Green said, going to stop his partner, Jack went to stop Angel, and Becky tried to hold Bobby back.

"You gonna bust me in my mouth?" Angel yelled.

"This ain't what I'm here for." Green said once he got Foller under control.

"Look, Bobby, if you got something, you give it to me. And if it's something vital, we will run with this. But don't try and take on Detroit by your damn self. You keep knocking on the devil's door long enough, and sooner or later, somebody gonna answer you." Green said before walking out of the room and out of the house.

"He's right." Becky said.

"What are you on his side now." Bobby said taking off the robe and he went up stirs.

"So what are you guys going to do now?" She asked Angel and Jack.

"Don't know yet." Angel said.

"You guys are going to get yourselves killed!" She yelled.

"Look, Becky. We can take care of this." Jack said, "You worry too much."

"Fine do whatever you want." Becky said grabbing her jacket and walking out of the house.

"Where the hell is she going?" Bobby asked coming back down the stirs.

Jack just shrugged his shoulders.

"Come on we got some shit to deal with." The boys grabbed their jackets and left too.

"Where the hell have you been?" Angel asked when Becky came into the house.

"Out. What does it matter?" She said. Angel could tell that she was still pissed off, and had been crying.

"Maybe you want to cool down a bit." He said before walking out of the room.

"Nine millimeter Beretta." Bobby was saying from the dinning room. "Oh, look at this Beretta. It's triple-action. Three bullets at once. They say dead men tell no tales, but they sure leave important shit lying around." Becky didn't care to talk with any of the brothers right now and started to head up to her room. "Becky get the fuck back here." Bobby called.

"What do you want?" She said walking to the dinning room.

"Where the hell have you been for half the night?" He said looking at the other guns that were in the bag on the table.

"Out."

"This is Detroit, you don't go wandering around at night alone, you should know that."

"Who said I was alone." Becky said and turned to go up to her room, when she felt a strong hand on her arm.

"Who the fuck were you with?" Bobby asked.

"Bobby calm down." Jack said.

"It's none of your damn business." Becky yelled.

"Like hell it is." He yelled back.

"Hey what the hell are y'all doing now?" Jerry asked coming into the house. Look what y'all doing to Mama's house! Come on. Look at this table, man. Come on."

"You know what, your right. Hey, Sofi, why don't you do me a favor and clean up some of this shit." He called to her. "Make yourself useful."

Becky rolled her eyes and left the room, as a pizza box came flying at Bobby's head.

"You missed." He said to Sofi, " We're not done talking Becky." He called after her.

"Hey, Bobby!" Jack said. "They were tracking mom. That's that guy, that lawyer guy. That shithead said he only met her once Bobby."

"Let's go." Bobby said putting the camera down. "Jerry, you coming with us? Don't you wanna find out who hired them?"

"Yeah, don't you wanna find out who killed mom?" Angel added.

"Of course I do, man."

"Let's go. Stop bullshitting. Come on." Bobby said, as he was half way out of the house and to his car.

"Somebody's gotta look after y'all clowns."

"Oh, so now you callin us clowns?" Angel said as him and Jerry left the house.

"Well, I call it like I see it."


	7. Chapter 7

Bobby was the first one to walk up to the house. He went up to one of the back glass doors and broke the corner to reach his hand inside to unlock the door.

"An attack dog." Bobby said opening the door. "Come here poochie. You don't wanna bite me, do you?" He bent over and picked up the little dog in his arms. "You gonna bite me, huh baby?"

"Hey Bobby, check this out. I found Bradford's calendar." Jack was playing around on the computer that was sitting on the desk in one of the rooms. "You don't think 'EM' stands for Evelyn Mercer, do you?"

"You're getting good at this Jackie." Bobby said from behind him, still holding the dog.

"November, he met up with her the night she died." Jerry said after reading what was on the screen. Jack was surprised, wondering what his mother was doing with this guy.

"Why would anybody meet up with their lawyer at 8:00 at night?"

"Angel!" Jack slammed the laptop screen closed and everyone looked over at Angel.

"Nice, your girlfriend's here." Bobby said.

"She's crazy man." Angel said softly to himself.

"Well, go shut her up then." Jack said as Bobby put the dog down.

"Angel! Angel, come out here. I see you in the window! Come out, you idiot! I know you're in there!" Sofi kept on yelling and honking the car horn.

"Y'all come out there with me. This girl is crazy." Angel said as the four brothers went out.

It was another late night for the brothers when they got home. Angel and Sofi went right up to his room. Bobby and Jack stayed up for a little bit cleaning up the living room and kitchen from the mess that they had been making. Jack went up to his room first and a few minutes later Bobby went up too. When he got up stirs he went over to Jacks room and saw that the light was still on.

"Night Jack." Bobby said as he walked over to the next room.

"Night." He heard his brother call back. He stopped in front of Becky's room and slowly opened the door. Seeing that she was asleep he shut the door and went over to his room. It was something he started doing since she had first moved into the house.

"Hey, Bobby?" Angel called from the hallway.

"Yo." He called from inside the bathroom. Angel walked over to the open door, Bobby was sitting on the toilet reading a magazine and someone was in the shower.

"Hey, man. I gotta ask you a question." He said stepping inside the room.

"What's up?" Bobby said putting the magazine down.

"You know me and Sofi did a lot of making up last night." He said to his brother with a smile.

"You gave her that ring, huh?"

"Yeah. But it seem like I got a little rust on the tools down there." Angel started to untie his bathrobe.

"Ask the cockologist in the shower." Bobby said pretending to shield his eyes with the magazine he held in his hand.

"How the hell would I know?" Jacks voice came from behind the shower curtain.

"You're the expert." Bobby said.

Jack poked his head out from behind the curtain and took one quick look at his brother. "Rug burn." He said before getting back to his shower.

"Your gonna live." Bobby said with a laugh.

"Thank God. I thought my luck ran out." Angel said with some relief. "Hey, listen, man. You know, Jerry ain't been straight up with us about that redevelopment project. Found out his dream's dead. Jerry got involved with some bad people. City got on him about fraud and what not. Cut his loans off like a month ago. Technically, Jerry's really broke."

"You think this had something to do with what happened to mom?" Bobby asked.

"No, I'm saying that it's something that we should look into. I need y'all to go down and visit this city official named Douglas. He'll know who Jerry got mixed up with." Angel said as he turned to walk back to his room. "I'm gonna go check on some other shit."

"What are you talking about?" Bobby called after him. "Why don't you just tell me what you know, Angel?"

"I know that you need to stay our ass on the porcelain. This is gonna require a little finesse. And given your prior reputation as a hothead…"

"I wrote the fucking book on finesse."

"You're gonna be the first to fuck up." Angel finished as he walked back to his room.

"Wait for me to wipe my ass, Angel. I'm coming with you." Bobby called after him grabbing what was left of the toilet paper. "Angel! Get me some fucking toilet paper, Jack." He said when he realized that there was not enough. "Angel!"

"What the hell is all this yelling for?" Becky said walking over to the open bathroom door. "Oh fuck!" She said turning away when she saw Bobby on the toilet and Jack wrapping a towel around his naked body. "The bathroom has a door for a reason." She said walking away with her checks turning red. It was one thing seeing Bobby and the others with their shits off, but seeing him and Jack just about completely naked was something else.

Becky went down stirs to start her day and to try and forget about what she had walked in on in the bathroom. Angel came down stairs and left out the front door. Seconds later Bobby came down and walked into the kitchen. Becky could feel her face turning pink; keeping her back to him she hoped that he didn't say anything about it to her.

"Jack and I have to go out for a little while, we'll be back later." He said coming up behind her.

"Okay." She said without turning to look at him, how could she, she was too embarrassed.

"Is everything all right?" He asked he not moving from where he stood.

"Yeah, fine." She said

"Look I am sorry for yelling at you last night, but I don't…"

"Bobby lets go." Jack called as he came into the hallway.

"Shut up Jackie. I'll come when I am fuckin ready." Bobby yelled to his little brother.

"I'll see you when you get back." Becky said as she slipped out of the room, the less contact she had with Bobby the better. He went over to Jack who was waiting by the front door.

"You ready." Jack asked as he opened up the door.

"Yeah." He said walking out of the house. "There's something up with Becky." The two brothers got into Bobby's car and drove off.

"What do you mean?"

"Usually she fights with us about coming along. She didn't even care that we were leaving this time."

"Maybe she has other things she wants to do." Jack said. "Maybe she's got a boy." He said with a smile

"Do you fuckin know something Jack?"

"No, look all I'm saying is that she has her own life to live. That's all."

Bobby didn't like not knowing what she was doing, he didn't know why it bothered him so much that he didn't know where she was the night before and why she was acting the way that she was.

"What do you think he found?" Jack questioned his brother as they walked towards a bowling ally.

"I don't know, but it's something big."

"How can you tell?"

"By the sound of his voice." Bobby said opening the door. "I know my brother."

"What's goin on, Angel?" He said when they found their brother sitting at the bar looking over the people and families bowling.

"Was that councilman helpful?" Angel asked not taking his eyes off of what he was looking at.

"Oh yeah. A real public servant." Bobby said taking a drink from his beer bottle, before he added, "You remember a punk named Victor Sweet?"

"I remember a Malcolm Sweet."

"Victor was his nephew. Used to deliver things for his uncle. Like a firebombs and beatings. You remember. Malcolm used to love to humiliate him all the time."

"Yeah, I remember that dude."

Jack sat there drinking his beer listening to his brother's talk.

"Apparently, Victor got sick of the ass-whopping and sunk his uncle into the river. He owns the whole neighborhood now."

"No shit?" Angel was impressed by what he had heard. "Hey, Bobby. Word around town is that Jerry owed a lot of people some money." Angel added.

"What are you talking about?" Bobby didn't want to believe what his brother was telling him.

"Recognize that dude over there with the fat head?"

"Yeah, that's Evander Pearson. He used to be all right, that guy. Jerry and him used to hang during the union days."

"He goes by Evan now. And he's working for a guy named Victor."

"You guys are coming up with this pretty quick." Jack spoke up.

"Yeah, we should have been cops." Bobby laughed into his bottle. "What are we doing here, Angel?"

"Holy Shit!" Jack stood up and looked at what he saw. Bobby turned around and saw Jerry walking up to Evan. The three brothers watched as Jerry talked with Evan and just before he left he handed the man a big yellow envelope.

"Forget Jerry. We're gonna find him later. Come on." Bobby said walking towards Evan, with Angel and Jack right behind him. "Yo, Evander! What's up?"

"Muriel! We leaving. Game's over. Let's go. It's nice to see you, boys, but we was just leaving."

"You ain't goin nowhere. What was you talking to Jerry about?" Bobby said.

"Nothin, just saying hello. Me and Jerry go way back from the union days. You know that Bobby."

"Angel tells me you're one of Victor Sweet's boys now. Hear he's running shit like his uncle, treating you like a housemaid.

"What are you thinking about Evan? The dude's a punk." Angel put his two cents in.

"You been gone a long time, fellas. Times change."

"What's in that envelope?" Angel asked.

"What envelope?"

"You wanna play that fuckin game with me right now?" Bobby was starting to get mad.

"Y'all gonna do this here?"

"Right here. Right now. Give me the envelope and take a walk. Now!"

Evan handed the envelope over to Bobby and the brothers left the bowling ally.

It was early evening when they went back home after calling Jerry to make sure he would come over to the house in the morning.

"Hey Becky!" Angel called as they walked into the house. "Were back." Becky walked out of the kitchen and stood with them in the front hall.

"There is food in the kitchen if you are hungry." She said.

"What you're not going to yell at us about where we were?" Bobby said in one of his pissed off tones.

"Why bother, you wont tell me." She shot back at him.

"What the hell is going on with you two?" Angel asked.

"They have been like this for days now." Jack said.

"Fuck off, this is between us." Bobby said, leaving the house.

The two brothers that were left looked over to Becky.

"What?" She said.

"What is going on?" Angel said. "You two never fight like this."

"Nothing. He's just been in a bad mood lately. You see how he is." Becky said hoping that they would take what she said and drop the subject. She had a horrible night at work and she just wanted to be alone. The guys shook their heads and went into the kitchen. Becky took this time to sneak off to her room.


	8. Chapter 8

The next morning Jack and Angel were sitting in the living room waiting for Jerry to come over. Becky was still in her room, and Bobby was somewhere in the house.

"What?" Jerry asked as he came into the living room and saw two of his brothers sitting there looking at him.

"You know what you did." Angel said showing him the envelope filled with money.

"No! You don't know who your fucking with!" Jerry cried. "Where's Bobby?" Bobby came flying around the corner landing Jerry with a punch to the side of his face making him fall to the ground.

"What are you hiding, Jerry?" Bobby yelled.

"What?"

"What the fucks wrong with you? If you had something to do with what happened to ma, I swear to God, Jerry, I'm gonna kill you right here and now!" He said pushing his brother back down on the ground. "Angel's gonna ask you some questions. And, brother, I shit you not, the time for lying is over."

"We know you're lying about your business. And we know you got mixed up with some gangsters." Angel said.

"Hold on…" Jerry started to stand.

"Stay down!" Bobby kicked his younger brother.

Becky had head the yelling from up stirs and came down to see what they were up to, once she saw Bobby and Jerry she tried to get over to help him, but Jack held her back from the action.

"Y'all think I had something to do with mom getting killed?" Jerry asked, now he was getting pissed at his brothers.

"You got a check that you just so happened to forget to mention." Angel said. "From mom's life insurance."

"She took out the policy for the girls. Man, I ain't have nothing to do with that. Come on." He said finally being allowed to stand up.

"You made the payments." Jack threw in.

"Good timing, Jerry. Just when it seems like all is lost for you, Ma gets shot by some gangsters and now you hit the fucking lottery!" Bobby was starting to want to hit his brother again.

"So y'all tripping because I made insurance payments?" Jerry asked, "I paid all her bills. Where the fuck were y'all?" Jerry pushed Bobby across the room and punched Angel in the face sending him into the wall. " How many years did I have to take care of her without any goddamn help from you? Y'all were around doing nothing! Bullshitting! And you gonna tell me I killed her? Come on, man!"

"So why did you pay off a killer like sweet?" Angel was starting to wonder. "And what the fuck did he do for you Jerry?"

"What did he do for me? He killed my fucking life! I put everything in that project! I bet it all trying to make something of myself! Trying to make the shit work! Then Vic's goons gonna come try to take a piece."

"You paid him, Jerry. You got in bed with him." Bobby said getting up.

"No, no, I didn't pay them! That's how they fucking shut me down!"

"I thought the city cut you off?" Jack asked, still holding Becky so she wouldn't run out and get in the middle of things.

"Douglas? Come on, man. This is Detroit! Sweet owns Douglas. He ain't nothing but a gangster in a suit! I don't pay him, and now he shuts my loans off! End of story, end of project."

"So what about the money?" Angel asked.

"I just told you. You wanna cross the bridge, you gotta pay the toll. I took the money. I was gonna pay the bribe until y'all fucked it up.

There was a knock at the door, being the closest and the only one to have heard it Jack went over to answer it. He opened the door and saw a man walking away.

"Your mother was a whore!" The man said as he flipped Jack off.

"Hey, fuck you man! I will kick your…" He was starting to say when a snowball hit him right in the face. "Son of a bitch! Piece of shit!" Pissed off he pick up a snowball and started running after the man.

"Jack! Jack?" Bobby said wondering where his little brother was, when they all saw the front door open. Becky hadn't even realized that Jack had left. "Jack!"

Jack was only a few steps away from the asshole who throw the snow at him, when the man turned around to show Jack that he was wearing a white hockey mask. As he turned he pulled out a handgun.

"Shit!" Jack said seconds before he was shot in the shoulder.

Bobby, Becky, Angel and Jerry all ran out of the house once they heard a gunshot. Bobby was on the front lawn with his gun, he put two shots into the guy who shot his brother. Becky had ran down the front steps not thinking about what was going on in the street. Angel and Jerry stood at the door watching what was going on in front of them.

When they saw three other guys in masks jump out of a van that they had been sitting in they all ran back to the house, all but Jack who was still laying in the snow yelling for his oldest brother.

Becky ran into the front porch and got down on the ground. With Bobby lying right next to her, doing what he could to cover her from the falling glass and dust from the bricks.

"Bobby!" Jack yelled as he laid outside between the two groups of men shooting at each other. It was almost as if no one saw him out there.

"Jack!" Bobby yelled to his youngest brother to let him know that he was there for him; he just had to kill those fucking bastards who were shooting at them first. "Jack!"

"Bobby!" Jack kept calling out.

"Jack, hold on." He sat up and fired a couple of shots out the window. Angel who had found two guns was doing the same thing.

"Shit!" Becky said as glass kept landing on her. She was scared and didn't know what to do. When Bobby wasn't shooting he was next to her on the ground doing his best to keep her calm, and to shield her from any bullets that were flying past.

"Hold your fire! Hold your fire!" They heard one of the shooters call to the others. "He's behind the bricks. Jackhammer!" He called. Once the shooting started again, Bobby laid his body over Becky's. Angel took this time to sneak up to the second level of the house to get a better view of what was going on outside.

Jerry looked around the house; he got up and ran into the kitchen when he saw one of the shooters coming towards the back door. As the man slowly came into the house Jerry came up behind him with a knife and stabbed him in the chest.

"I got kids! A wife! A family!" Jerry said with each stab.

When the shooting let up a little Bobby grabbed for his gun.

"Fuck!" He said when he saw that he was out of bullets. He looked over and saw two chunks of brick, reaching over he took both of them in his hands.

"Bobby, No!" Becky said softly as she put her hand on his arm as if to hold him back.

"Stay here." Bobby said as he looked through the hole in the side of the brick wall. When he saw his chance he went running outside and started beating one of the guys. "Motherfucker!" Bobby yelled as he beat the man with only a brick in his bare hand.

"Bobby the van! Watch out! Bobby!" Becky yelled to him, but he was too busy to hear a word she was saying. Once Angel jumped down from the house and took out the only other guy on the street Becky ran out to pull Bobby off of the other guy and out of the way.

Once they realized that Jerry had crashed his Volvo into the van they all ran to Jack who was lying on his back in the snow.

"Jack, Jack! Look at me!" Bobby said when he got to his side. "Jack, you're gonna be all right? Hold on." He said to his little brother who was doing all that he could to not scream from the pain. Lying in the snow helped numb most of his body and he couldn't feel much anymore. "We need and ambulance! Call 911!" Bobby yelled to Sofi when she came out of the house. "Jack, please, come on man, you gotta breathe. Come on Jack, Jack!" Bobby sat in the snow next to his brother's body with Becky, Jerry, Angel and Sofi next to him all crying silent tears for Jack who was now dead. Bobby quickly got up, grabbed one of the guns that was out in the street and went over to the man who was still in the van. "Who sent you? Victor Sweet?" Bobby questioned as he had the gun raised to the guys face.

"Yeah, yeah, it was Sweet." The man said. "Thank God." He finished when Bobby started to lower his gun.

"Thank God?" Bobby questioned. "He killed my mother and my little brother. Thank Victor Sweet!" Bobby said just before he pulled the trigger and shot the man in the head.


	9. Chapter 9

The next few days went by in a blur; they buried Jack and went to Greens funeral. It was too many deaths. They were all going through so much that Becky had no idea what was going on with the other three boys. The day after Greens funeral, she mostly stayed up in her room, when she did come down she saw all of the brothers standing around at the bottom of the steps. They all looked up at her when they heard her coming, Angel and Jerry left the room and Bobby waited for her to meet him at the bottom.

"I need you to stay in a motel for a day or two." Bobby said. "Pack up a few things and I will drive you over."

"Why? Why can't I stay here, what is going on?"

"Look it is not safe for you here right now, I need to know that you're safe." He said walking away from her and out of the room. She could tell by the look on his face that he was worried about all of their safety, not just hers. So she was not going to fight this one.

Becky went back up stirs and packed what she would need in her bag. She came back down stairs and found the brothers in the Kitchen. None of them where talking, they were just sitting around the table. When she walked in the room they stood up. One by one she gave them each a hug, she knew that they were going to put an end to all of this, but she didn't know how they were going to do that.

"Bye Jerry." She said going over to him first.

"I'll see you later, Becky." He said, Becky went over to Angel and wrapped her arms around him.

"Bye Angel."

"Bye, baby girl."

She turned to the back door where Bobby was standing with her bag, she walked out of the house with him and over to his car.

"What are you guys going to do?" She asked once they pulled onto the street.

"It's better that you don't know." Bobby said keeping his eyes on the road.

As much as she wanted to know she knew that it would be better if she didn't. But not knowing was going to make her even more worried about them, especially Bobby, she knew that he would be at the head of whatever their plan was going to be.

They pulled up in front of a small motel and parked the car across from room 18. Bobby got out of the car, grabbed the bag and went over to the door. Opening it he went in and put the bag on the double bed in the middle of the room.

"I know that it might be hard, but I want you to stay in this room till you get a call from one of us."

"I will." She said walking over to him. He opened his arms and embraced her body. "I understand why you need to do this." Bobby didn't say anything, he just held her. "Make sure that you all come back."

"I will." He said letting go and walking over to the door. He didn't want to say the words 'Goodbye' to her; he was just going to leave.

"Bobby?" Becky said as he was about to open the door, she was scared about what he was going to do, and if she was ever going to get a call from him, and if she would ever see him again. Her mind was going every direction it could and everything was leading her in one direction. She walked over to him as he stood by the door waiting for what she was going to do.

Not caring about what would happen or what he would say she pushed her lips to his, and started kissing him. The second her lips touched his, he enclose his arms around her waist and let the kiss deepen.

Bobby looked her in the eyes when he pulled away, and walked out the door closing it behind him. Becky sat down on the bed, and didn't move. Hours passed and she was still in the same spot. Around two in the morning she finally laid down and fell asleep. The next day she stayed in bed, not wanting to get up or do anything. All she did was think about Bobby and his brothers. Waiting for her phone to ring. When the sun started to go down, she was still in the bed, she hadn't eaten, she hadn't showered, she hadn't moved. She was going to lay there till her cell phone rang to life.

The ringing starting a little after seven o'clock that night, and she answered it before the first ring stopped.

"Bobby!" She called into the phone.

"You need to get down to the police station." Camille said to her on the other end of the phone.

"Why? What's wrong? Are they okay?" Becky was already out of bed and on her way to the bathroom. She turned on the shower and walked back out to the main room.

"They're fine, they are all being questioned right now. But I think you should be here."

"Yeah, of course, I'll be there right away." Becky hung up her phone and got in the shower before she headed out to the police station.

"What's going on?" Becky said walking over to Camille and Sofi, who were both yelling at the guard at the window.

"These stupid guards are not telling us anything." Sofi said loudly.

"They are all being questioned. Jerry and Angel will be free to go if they don't find anything out. But they are not telling us anything about Bobby." Camille said. "We thought you would be able to get some information." She added. Becky looked around and she could see down one of the halls, the three brothers each in a different interrogation room, each with a glass window looking out into the hall. Bobby was the only one who was alone in the room.

Becky went right up to the window that Camille and Sofi were standing at before and started talking to the guard.

"Why are you holding Bobby Mercer?" She asked.

"Sorry lady, I can't tell you anything." He said.

"Why not?"

"We only give out information to family." He said in response.

"Then you need to tell me why you are holding him." She said boldly.

"You mean your family?"

"I have been with Bobby Mercer for three years, does that count?" Becky lied to the man.

"All I can tell you is that they are holding Mr. Mercer till we are able to find out his whereabouts for earlier today. He keeps telling us that he was at home all day." The guard said.

"He was at home." Becky said. "I was with him."

"I need to get that statement on record lady if Mr. Mercer is going to be let go." He said. "Follow me." The guard took Becky down the hall that the brothers were in, and she was also placed in a small room with a window that looked out into the hall. From there she could see Camille and Sofi standing in the waiting area, she could also see Bobby. He was standing by the window and was watching her from the moment she came into the station. He went over to the window when she followed a guard into a room of her own. He banged his fist on the window when the guard walked past again.

"Calm down Mercer. You'll get your chance to talk."


	10. Chapter 10

After sitting in the room for a while, she saw Jerry and Angel each get let out of the room they were in and walk over to the waiting area. They talked with the two women for a little bit before they both turned to look at Becky who was sitting alone in a witness room.

"What is she doing?" Angel asked.

"She told them she was with Bobby all day." Sofi said to the two brothers, who were released.

"She's crazy." Jerry said. The four of them sat down in the waiting area and watched Becky as she sat alone in the small room. They were also keeping an eye on Bobby, who was really getting pissed off not knowing why Becky was in an interrogation room. He didn't tell her anything so he could keep her out of all of this. But that didn't seem to stop her. He was walking back and forth in the room waiting for something to happen.

The door opened to the room that Becky was in and two men in suits came in. One placed a tape recorder in the middle of the table.

"Why don't you tell us the events of your day." One of the men said as he sat down across from her.

Becky started talking about the day her and Bobby had, the one she was making up right on the spot. It was odd to her how easy it was to come up with this lie and make it sounds so believable.

"We both slept in till around 9:30, got up showered and went down to make something to eat. Bobby came down shortly after I did. After we eat he went to work on his car, and I did the laundry and the dishes."

"Your telling me that it was just you two alone in the house and you were cleaning?" The man who was standing near the door said.

"Someone has to keep the house clean. Why not do it when he was working outside."

"Fine go on."

"Later that day once he came in and got washed up, we spent some relaxing time together."

"What do you mean by 'relaxing time' Explain."

"What do you need me to spell it out for you. We have been together for three years, when we have free time alone together we use it." Becky said with a smile. "Do you really need all of the details?"

"That would be nice." The guy by the door said as he leaned into the table keeping his eyes on her.

"No, that won't be necessary." The other man said. "About what time do you think this was at?"

"I would have to say it started around 3 in the afternoon."

"And how long did it last?"  
"A few hours, I wasn't looking at the time."

"What was next?"

"After we got up and dressed, he went to make dinner, and I ran to the store."

"Okay thank you. I think we have enough. You are able to leave." The man who was sitting at the table said as he stood up.

"What about Bobby?" She asked as she stood up too.

"Well, we need to file everything that you told us, we will need to talk with him again, and file all of his work. I don't know how long that will take."

"It all depends on if he cooperates." The man near the door said as he walked out.

Becky walked out of the interaction room; past Bobby who she didn't even look at knowing the he would be angrier then hell are her for doing what she just did. She kept her eyes on the group in the waiting area.

"What they hell do you think your doing?" Angel said as she came over to them.

"Helping your brother out." She said.

"Well what's going on? Is he off the hook?" Jerry asked.

"They still need to talk to him again and file all of the paper work away. They don't know how long it will be."

"I can't believe you did that girl." Angel said, still shocked by what she was getting herself into.

"Look why don't you all go home. It could be awhile and it is all ready late." Becky said to the group.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, I'll drive him home."

"Why don't you two stay at our house tonight." Camille said giving Becky a hug goodbye.

"Thanks."


	11. Chapter 11

Becky sat down and waited, she watched two men go into the room Bobby was in. The second the door opened she could hear Bobby yelling at the two men. The hands on the clock moved around in a circle. And an hour had gone by before the men left the room. Forty minutes after that she looked up to see Bobby walking towards her. She stood up and walked over to him. When they met up with each other Bobby put his arms around her. All the anger he had towards her earlier that night had left his body when he saw her sitting there waiting for him.

Becky let go from his hug and let her right hand fly across his face.

"What the fuck was that for?" He asked letting the anger come back to him.

"I don't ever want to get a phone call telling me that you are in jail." Becky turned around and left the building. Bobby was mad at her for what she had done tonight, but he couldn't help but smile, he knew that she wouldn't have done any of it if she didn't care as much as she did. But that didn't mean he wasn't going to yell at her for what she did tonight. He went up to the front counter and picked up his things.

Going outside he saw Becky sitting on one of the benches just outside the station, when she saw him she got up and started walking towards the car.

"So now you're pissed at me?" Bobby said walking behind her.

"Lets go, Jerry and Camille said we should stay at their place tonight." Becky said as she kept walking. As they got closer to the car Bobby came up behind her, reached his hand around and into her front right packet pulling out her keys.

"What the hell are you doing?" Becky yelled as she tried to grab them back.

Bobby walked around to the drivers seat, "It's my fuckin car Bobby!" She yelled at him again.

"I know, but I'm driving." She had no choice; she got in the passenger side and slammed the door shut.

"Don't think your gonna get away with what you did." Bobby said as he started the car and drove off to his brother Jerry's house.

Jerry had left extra blankets and two pillows on the pullout couch in the den for the two of them.

They took off the seat cushions and opened the bed up without talking to each other.

"I know you're mad at me but do you think you will be able to still sleep with me?" Bobby said with a slight laugh. Becky looked at him and threw a pillow at his head.

"Do you think you can stop being an ass long enough for me to get some sleep?" She returned with.

"Only if you stop talking about my ass."

"I wasn't talking about your ass Bobby."

"See there you go again. Ever since you kissed me the other day, you can't stop thinking about it." He said laughing louder this time. He sat down on the side of the bed and pulled his shoes off, and waited for her to fire back. "What is it? I know that you are not just mad at me because you got a call saying I was in jail." He turned to look at her when she didn't say anything, but she just stood on the other side of the bed. She slowly sat down and let her head drop.

"Becky, what's wrong?" He asked moving towards her.

"I don't know." She said looking at him. "I don't feel that well."

"What did you eat today?" He slid up behind her and let his left hand move up and down her back.

"Nothing."

"There's your problem, you need to eat something." He said getting up and heading towards the kitchen.

"I'm not hungry." She said following him.

"At least have something to drink." He said getting a glass from the shelf and filling it with water. She took the glass from his hand and walked back to the den. Finishing her drink she laid down on the bed and pulled the blankets close to her body. Bobby laid down on the other side and watched her lay there with her eyes closed.

"How are you felling?" Bobby asked when she rolled over and noticed that she was still awake.

"Same." She said.

"What can I do to help?" He said.

"What's this? Bobby Mercer has a sensitive side?" She said with a light tone in her voice.

"Only for you baby girl." He said sliding his arm under her body bringing her to rest on his chest. Once she got comfortable he started to lightly rub his hand up and down her back again.

"Just keep doing that." She said as she closed her eyes. "Don't think that I am not mad at you anymore."

"Of course not, and I'm still upset with you." He said giving her a kiss on the top of her head. "Wake me up if you need anything." He said before closing his eyes and falling asleep, Becky soon followed.

Becky woke up the next morning still wrapped up in bobby's strong arms, she didn't want to move but she could feel his muscles moving in his arm. She rolled off his warm chest and onto the other side of the bed.

"How you feeling today?" He asked.

"Better." She said she was feeling a little embarrassed for enjoying the way she slept with him.

"Did you get any sleep?"

"Yeah, thanks for letting my use you as a pillow." She could feel her cheeks blush.

"Not a problem, besides it not every day that I get to sleep with a hot girl in my arms." He said putting both arms behind his head as he looked up at the ceiling, with a smile on his face.

"God, You still think of me as just a girl don't you?" She said sitting up.

"You know I don't."

"Then why do you always make comments on how young I am?"

"I haven't seen you in a long time, I forgot how old you really are."

"Yeah and no matter how many times I remind you, you still don't seem to remember." Becky got out of the bed and went to put her shirt on over the tank top she was wearing.

"What are you talking about?" Bobby got out of the bed and went over to Becky.

"You need to get used to the fact that I am older now."

"I know you are."

"I'm not some little girl that you have to take care of anymore."

"Look!" He said putting his hands on her arms to stop her. "I know that you're grown up now, but no matter how old you get I will always take care of you."

"I don't need you to take care of me Bobby!" She said trying to get free from his hold.

"To bad."  
"What the hell is that suppose to mean?"

Bobby let go of her and walked a few steps away from where she was standing, thinking of how he should answer.

"Becky! Becky!" Jerry's two little girls screamed as they came flying into the den. The two of them jumped onto the bed.

"Morning girls." Bobby said, as Becky ran out of the room and down the hall.

"Where is Becky going?" The youngest girl asked as they stopped jumping on the bed.

"Nothing, she's just not feeling well this morning." Bobby picked up the girls, one under each arm. He carried them into the kitchen were Jerry and Camille were making breakfast.

"Girls I told you not to bug your uncle Bobby and Becky." Camille said to the girls as Bobby put them both down.

"Don't worry about it, we were up."

"Where's Becky?" Jerry asked.

"The bathroom, she's not feeling well."

"I'll go check on her." Camille said leaving the kitchen.

"What's the plan now, Bobby?" Jerry asked.

"We fix up Ma's house." Bobby started eating the toast that Camille had made.

"How you felling?" Jerry asked when Camille and Becky came into the room giving her a kiss on her head when she went over to him.

"Better."

"I'm going over to start working on the house if you want to come back with me?" Bobby said when he finished the toast.

"Sure, do you mind stopping at the store before we head home?"

"No problem." Bobby left the room heading back to the den to get dressed.


End file.
